Biography

NoteCARDS:

Although he has played just 37 games, Ellington is the only active player in the NFL with both a rushing and receiving TD of 80+ yards in their career. He was one of just six players in NFL history with an 80+ yard TD run and 80+ yard receiving TD in their first two NFL seasons.

In 2015, Ellington (2) joined Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson (2) and Buffalo’s Mike Gillislee (2) as the only players in the NFL with multiple rushing TDs of 45+ yards.

With 1,023 yards from scrimmage as a rookie in 2013 and 1,055 yards in 2014, he joined Ottis Anderson (1979-80) as the only players in franchise history to record 1,000+ yards from scrimmage in each of their first two NFL seasons.

With 652 rushing yards on just 118 attempts as a rookie in 2013, Ellington’s 5.53 rushing average led all NFL players with a minimum of 100 rushing attempts. His 5.53 average was the highest total for a Cards RB (min. 100 attempts) in a season since John David Crow averaged 5.85 yards per attempt in 1960 (183 for 1,071).

In Week 15 of the ’13 season at Tennessee, he had 71 rushing yards on 10 attempts (7.1 avg.) and 87 receiving yards on four receptions (21.8 avg.). In doing so, he became just the ninth player in NFL history (dating back to at least 1960) to average 7.0 yards per rush attempt (min. 10 attempts) and 20.0 yards per reception (min. 4 receptions) in a game – and the only rookie.

Pro Career:The Cardinals second selection in the sixth round (187th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft, Ellington has appeared in 37 games (15 starts) in his first three NFL seasons. He has also appeared in two postseason games. Missed the final four games of the ’14 campaign when he was placed on injured reserve with a core muscle injury and missed six games with knee and toe injuries in 2015.

NoteCARDS:

Although he has played just 37 games, Ellington is the only active player in the NFL with both a rushing and receiving TD of 80+ yards in their career. He was one of just six players in NFL history with an 80+ yard TD run and 80+ yard receiving TD in their first two NFL seasons.

In 2015, Ellington (2) joined Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson (2) and Buffalo’s Mike Gillislee (2) as the only players in the NFL with multiple rushing TDs of 45+ yards.

With 1,023 yards from scrimmage as a rookie in 2013 and 1,055 yards in 2014, he joined Ottis Anderson (1979-80) as the only players in franchise history to record 1,000+ yards from scrimmage in each of their first two NFL seasons.

With 652 rushing yards on just 118 attempts as a rookie in 2013, Ellington’s 5.53 rushing average led all NFL players with a minimum of 100 rushing attempts. His 5.53 average was the highest total for a Cards RB (min. 100 attempts) in a season since John David Crow averaged 5.85 yards per attempt in 1960 (183 for 1,071).

In Week 15 of the ’13 season at Tennessee, he had 71 rushing yards on 10 attempts (7.1 avg.) and 87 receiving yards on four receptions (21.8 avg.). In doing so, he became just the ninth player in NFL history (dating back to at least 1960) to average 7.0 yards per rush attempt (min. 10 attempts) and 20.0 yards per reception (min. 4 receptions) in a game – and the only rookie.

Pro Career:The Cardinals second selection in the sixth round (187th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft, Ellington has appeared in 37 games (15 starts) in his first three NFL seasons. He has also appeared in two postseason games. Missed the final four games of the ’14 campaign when he was placed on injured reserve with a core muscle injury and missed six games with knee and toe injuries in 2015.

2015: Appeared in 10 games (two starts) and both postseason contests … helped the Cardinals finish with the #1 offense in the NFL for the first time in team history and set franchise record for points (489) and TDs (59) … totaled 289 yards and three TDs on 45 carries (6.4 avg.) and caught 15 passes for 148 yards … ran for a team-high 69 yards and a TD on 12 carries and had a seven-yard reception vs. NO (9/13); left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury … inactive (knee) the next three games … returned to action and had a season-long 63-yard TD run in the fourth quarter @ Det (10/11) … ran for team-high 61 yards on five carries @ Sea (11/15), including a 48-yard TD run with under two minutes remaining that put the Cardinals ahead by 10; also caught three passes for 27 yards … ran for 24 yards on five carries and had three catches for 22 yards @ SF (11/29); left game in third quarter with toe injury … had two carries and a seven-yard reception vs. Sea (1/3/16); reached 100 career catches … had three carries in Divisional Playoff vs. GB (1/16/16) and one carry in the NFC Championship Game @ Car (1/24/16).

2014: Started the first 12 games and led the team with 660 rushing yards and three TDs on 201 carries before being placed on injured reserve … finished fourth on the team with 46 receptions for 395 yards and two TDs … despite being limited in practice during the week by a foot injury, started and ran for 53 yards on 13 carries vs. SD (9/8); also had five receptions for 27 yards … rushed for 91 yards on 15 carries @ NYG (9/14); had three carries of 15+ yards; marked fifth time he averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in a game with 10+ carries in his career … ran for 62 yards on 18 carries and caught three passes for 13 yards vs. SF (9/21); ran for 20 yards on 3rd-n-6 in the fourth quarter just before the two-minute warning, allowing the Cardinals to run the clock down to 34 seconds before kicking FG that extended the lead to 23-14 … had four catches for a career-high 112 yards, including a career-long 81-yard TD reception in the third quarter @ Den (10/5); also ran for 32 yards and a TD on 16 carries, giving him the first multi-TD game of his career; 81-yard TD catch combined with his 80-yard TD run against Atlanta in 2013 made him the second player in franchise history with an 80+ yard TD run and reception in their Cardinals career (John David Crow, 91-yard TD reception and 83-yard TD run); marked just the 10th time in franchise history a RB has had a 100-yard receiving game; became the ninth different Cardinals RB and first since Tim Hightower (9/13/09, 121 yards vs. SF) to top 100 receiving yards in a game … ran for 67 yards on 19 carries and added a career-best six receptions for 26 yards vs. Was (10/12) … led the team in both rushing and receiving @ Oak (10/19), running for 88 yards on a career-high 24 carries and tying career-high with six receptions for 72 yards; 160 total yards marked second-highest single-game total in his career (162, vs. Atlanta, 10/27/13) and his third career game with 150+ all-purpose yards; became the fifth player in franchise history (seventh time overall) to have a game with at least 80 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards … rushed for 71 yards and a TD on 23 carries and had three catches for 14 yards vs. Phi (10/26) … ran for a season-high 95 yards on 21 carries and had four receptions for 39 yards and a TD @ Dal (11/2); one-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter gave Cardinals a 21-10 lead … scored fifth TD of the season with three-yard run in the second quarter vs. StL (11/9); had 23 yards on 18 carries and added five receptions for 19 yards … ran for 12 yards on five carries @ Atl (11/30); left in the first half with a hip injury … inactive (hip/foot) vs. KC (12/7) … placed on injured reserve (core muscle injury) on 12/8.

2013: Played in 15 games with one start and totaled 652 yards and three TDs on 118 carries (5.5 avg.) while catching 39 passes for 371 yards (9.5 avg.) and one TD … made his NFL debut @ StL (9/8); 13-yard reception in the second quarter was his first career catch … caught two passes for 42 yards, including a 36-yard TD in the second quarter and ran for 20 yards on four carries vs. Det (9/15); marked his first career TD … led the Cardinals with 52 rushing yards on seven carries and caught four passes for 31 yards vs. Car (10/6) … led the team with 56 yards on seven carries and scored his first career rushing TD with a 15-yard run in the second quarter @ SF (10/13); also had a season-best five receptions for 36 yards … in his first career start, ran for 154 yards on 15 carries and had two catches for eight yards vs. Atl (10/27); had 80-yard TD run in the second quarter, tying for the third-longest run in franchise history and the second-longest run by a rookie (83, John David Crow, 10/4/58 vs. Washington); 154 yards rushing were the most in the NFL in Week 8; helped Cardinals total 201 rushing yards for the game, just the sixth time since 2000 they rushed for 200+ yards in a contest; 10.3-yard average was the highest in franchise history for a player with 15 or more carries in a game; voted the NFL FedEx Ground Player of the Week … led the Cardinals with 55 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 18 yards vs. Hou (11/10) … inactive (knee) @ Phi (12/1) … led the team with 46 yards and a rushing TD on 11 carries and added two receptions for 17 yards vs. StL (12/8) … led the Cardinals with a season-high 87 yards on four receptions and 71 rushing yards on 10 carries @ Ten (12/15); became the second rookie in franchise history to post 70+ rushing yards and 80+ receiving yards in a single game (Ollie Matson, 10/26/52 vs. Pittsburgh) and the first rookie to do so in the NFL since Jahvid Best in 2010; became the ninth player in NFL history (dating back to at least 1960) and the first rookie to average at least 7.0 yards per rush and 20.0 yards per reception in a single game; was first Cardinals player to lead the team in both rushing and receiving yards in a game since Marcel Shipp on 12/15/02 at St. Louis … ran for a team-high 64 yards on 15 carries and had two receptions for eight yards @ Sea (12/22); marked his sixth game this season with 10+ carries, and Cardinals finished 6-0 in those games.

College:Started 33 of the 49 games he appeared in for the Tigers, rushing 621 times for 3,436 yards and 33 TDs … also added 59 receptions for 505 yards and two TDs … his 3,436 rushing yards rank fourth in school history while his 33 rushing TDs rank third in team annals … one of just four players in school history to rush for 1,000 yards twice in their career … a consensus All-ACC first-team selection and team captain as a senior in 2012, Ellington started all 13 games for the second consecutive season and had 212 rushing attempts for 1,081 yards (5.1 avg.) and eight TDs … his 1,081 rushing yards rank ninth on the school single-season record list as he became just the fourth player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards twice in their career … caught 14 passes for 232 yards and a TD and totaled 178 yards on eight kickoff returns … his 1,491 all-purpose yards were 10th on the school season-record chart … received National Player of the Week accolades by the Maxwell Award committee and National Running Back of the Week honors vs. Auburn from the CFPA … as a junior in 2011, was named a second-team All-ACC selection in his first full season as the Tigers starting tailback after rushing 223 times for 1,178 yards (5.3 avg.) and 11 TDs … started six of the nine games he played in as a sophomore in 2010, finishing second on the squad with 686 rushing yards and 10 TDs on 118 carries (5.8 avg.) … caught 12 passes for 109 yards and a TD and returned seven kickoffs for 238 yards (34.0 avg.) with a TD … his 12 total TDs tied for third in the conference … as a freshman in 2009, appeared in all 14 games and finished second on the team with 68 carries for 491 yards, with his 7.2-yard average ranking third on the school’s single-season record list … scored four rushing TDs and added 55 receiving yards on 11 catches while also having 95 kickoff return yards on six attempts … redshirted as a freshman in 2008.

Personal:Attended Berkeley (Moncks Corner, SC) High School where he was rated the sixth-best RB in the nation by ESPN.com … a Shrine Bowl participant, Ellington earned All-State honors after recording 1,822 rushing yards and 24 TDs as a senior … added four other TDs (two receiving and two kickoff returns) and finished the 2007 campaign with 2,519 all-purpose yards … cousin is 49ers WR Bruce Ellington and the pair grew up as neighbors playing backyard football in Moncks Corner … Community Recreation, Sport & Camp Management major who won the 2010 Vickery Hall Award at Clemson for his work in the classroom.